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What has happened today so far?

Russia hit back at Turkey and its Nato allies today, announcing it was deploying high-end anti-aircraft missiles to its military facilities in the country, write Roland Oliphant in Moscow and Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor.

Meanwhile, the Russian navigator rescued after his jet was shot down has promised to keep flying missions as revenge for the death of his pilot, Lt Col Oleg Peshkov, who was shot dead by Syrian rebels.

He told Russian TV: "I can’t wait to return [to flying] … I have a debt to repay to the commander."

There were also major air attacks, said to be by Russian jets, across northern Syria against rebel groups backed by Turkey in what appeared to a calculated show of strength.

Rebels said among the targets was an aid convoy belonging to a Turkish aid group, IHH, with links to Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). But IHH denied this on Twitter.

“We have no intention to go to war with Turkey,” Mr Lavrov said at a televised briefing. “Yet we can't but react to what has happened.”

The decision by Mr Putin to deploy S-400 missiles to the Russian air base in Latakia is one of several counter measures announced by Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister.

With a range of 250 miles, the S-400s would easily be able to destroy any hostile aircraft operating in the border areas of Turkey and Syria where the Russian SU-24 was shot down

Its deployment also sends a message to Nato. Mr Putin’s decision to send a fleet of war-planes to the base has already turned what was previously a minor Syrian outpost to a front-line Russian base on Nato’s south-eastern edge.

Just as the ease with which Turkey’s advanced American jets shot down their Russian adversary is a warning to Mr Putin not to over-reach himself, the counter-deployment of air defence missiles is intended to deter any Nato move to implement a no-fly zone over Syria.

Mr Shoigu also said all future bombing missions would be accompanied by fighter escorts, and ordered the country’s most powerful missile cruiser, the Moskva, to patrol in-shore waters near the Turkish-Syrian border.

“She will be ready to destroy any aerial target posing a potential danger to our aircraft,” he said.

The Russian SU-24 pilots shot down by a Turkish F-16: Alexander Pozynich (left) who died and Konstantin Murakhtin who parachuted to safety Photo: EAST2WEST NEWS

The Kremlin accused Ankara of conspiring in advance to “ambush” the SU-24 jet as it carried out a bombing mission against rebel groups near the Turkish-Syrian border on Tuesday morning.

The pilot, Lt Col Oleg Peshkov, was shot dead by rebels as he parachuted to earth. The navigator, Capt Konstanin Murakhin, survived, despite initial reports that he too had been killed.

He was rescued from behind rebel lines by a Russian-Syrian mission. Speaking publicly for the first time this evening (see video below), Capt Murakhin denied that his aircraft had entered Turkish airspace "even for a single second."

He also rejected the Turkish claim that its F-16 had repeatedly warned the Russian jet before opening fire.

"There have been no warnings whatsoever," said Capt Murakhtin, who added that he wanted to keep flying missions from the base "to pay them back for my commander".

In response, the Turkish authorities released what they said was a recording of the warnings being issued.

Lt Col Peshkov was posthumously made a Hero of Russia, the country’s highest award. Capt Murakhtin and Alexander Pozynich, a marine killed when his search and rescue helicopter was destroyed by rebels, were awarded the Order of Courage.

Turkey imported $25 billion worth of Russian goods and commodities last year, mostly in the form of natural gas supplies. Turkish exports to Russia are mostly made up of textiles and food.

In the wider war of words with the West, Mr Lavrov repeated suggestions that Turkey was allowing a trade in oil with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) to continue, suggesting the shooting down of the jet was in response to Russian attacks on Isil oil installations.

However, the United States made its own response: it announced a list of new sanctions on Syrian and Russian entities, including a Syrian Christian businessman accused of acting as a middleman buying Isil oil for the Assad regime, and Russian businessmen and companies for helping the regime.

"The facts from this are not yet clear; I think we should respect Turkey's right to protect its airspace just as we defend our own. But it is very important that we get to the bottom of what has really happened," the Prime Minister.

Turkish military: We did not know jet's nationality

The Turkish military has said that they have been in contact with the Russian defence attaches and have told their Russian counterparts that they were unaware of the nationality of the jet when they issued the warnings.

The military said they told the attaches that they implemented the rules of engagement when the jet did not heed their warnings.

In an attempt to ensure the crisis does not become a full-blown diplomatic row, the military said they have been in contact with military authorities in Moscow and "expressed readiness for cooperation".

Here is a brief paraphrasing of what the above means (with thanks to Daily Sabah):

1. Regarding the downing of the SU-24 jet that belongs to the Russian Federation, Russian military attaché and army attaché have been invited to the headquarters of the general staff on November 24 and 25 to inform officials on Turkey's downing of a Russian Su-24 warplane at the Syrian border and to answer their questions regarding the incident

2. These are what was discussed:

a) That we warned the jet but did not know its nationality

b) We were insistent and gave 10 warnings and received no answer but when a plane violates our airspace, we invoked the rules of engagement

c) The Turkish military and state sought to find and rescue the two pilots

d) We gave answers to all questions asked and the Russian side understood the rules and how the radar was used and Turkey made clear it was ready to share any information

e) Separately, earlier meetings held with the Russian side expressed the sensitivity of Turkey regarding compliance with the rules of engagement, that the nationality of the plane was not known and that because the plane was warned and came near to Turkish airspace, the rules of engagement were automatically used

3. This information was passed to Moscow military authorities on the phone and expressed readiness for "all kinds of cooperation".

More details on pilot rescue mission

More details have emerged of the Russian-Syrian mission to rescue Konstantin Murakhtin, the SU-24 navigator who survived yesterday's shoot down, reports Roland Oliphant in Moscow.

According to Russian tabloid Komsomolsksya Pravda, Captain Murakhtin landed in a forested, mountainous area after bailing out from the jet when it was struck in the tail by an air-to-air missile at 9.30am yesterday.

Following his escape and evasion training and equipped with a special survival kit issued to all Russian combat pilots, he moved as quickly to put as much distance as possible between himself and the spot where he landed to avoid capture.

He spent the whole of Tuesday in hiding from search parties of fighters dispatched to find him, and made radio contact with rescue parties only after dark, informing Russian commanders that he was still alive and describing his whereabouts.

Russian and Syrian special forces then launched a joint rescue mission. At 11pm he linked up with a group of Syrian special forces operating in the rebel rear, by 2am he had been extracted back to regime-held territory, and by 3am he was back at the Russian airbase near Latakia.

The tabloid also claims that the rescuers noticed intense radio activity from rebel fighters in the area, from which it infers Turkey had intercepted Russian communications and handed information about Capt Murakhtin's whereabouts.

It is unclear how much of this story has been confirmed, and how much Komsomolskaya Pravda's writer inferred from public statements and knowledge of Russian military doctrine. Capt Murakhtin did not mention anything about his rescue when he spoke to Russian journalists on Wednesday evening, presumably for operational security reasons.

Evening summary

• A Russian pilot who was rescued after his plane was shot down by Turkey claims that he was not given any visual or audio warning. However, a new - and unverified - audio recording has emerged with Turkish authorities telling the pilot he was approaching Turkish airspace.

• Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov described Turkey's shoot down of a Russian jet as "planned provocation" and says Russia will "seriously reassess" relations with Ankara. But he seems to have ruled out military retaliation, saying Russia is not going to war with Turkey.

• Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey does not want escalation with Russia over downed plane, adding: "we are only defending out own security and the rights of our brothers".

• The Turkish prime minister warned Russia that attacks on the Turkmen minority could not be justified using the pretext of fighting Isil.

• The pilot, Captain Konstantin Murakhtin, said he couldn't possibly have flown over into Turkish airspace because the crew knew the region "like the back of their hand".

• Russia urged its citizens to stay away from Turkey, and protesters hurled eggs and stones at Moscow's Turkish embassy. Russians also attacked a Turkish brewery.

Kerry calls for calm

The US secretary of state has urged calm and for dialogue between Turkey and Russia during a phone call with Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister.

John Kerry "stressed the need for both sides not to allow this incident to escalate tensions between their two countries or in Syria", the state department said in a statement, Reuters reported.

The secretary offered his condolences for the loss of life in yesterday's incident with Turkey. He urged for calm and for dialogue between Turkish and Russian officials in the days ahead [and Kerry] "underscored the importance of progress toward a diplomatic solution in Syria".

Audio recording emerges of Turkey warning Russian plane

An audio recording has emerged purporting to be the recording of Turkey warning the Russian plane.

The voice is heard saying in English: “Unknown air traffic position onto Humeymim 020, redirect to 26 miles. This is Turkish Air Force speaking - en guard. You are approaching Turkish airspace. Change your heading south immediately."

Earlier today, the surviving pilot claimed that he had not received any visual or radio warning from Turkey - contradicting Turkey's claim that they warned them numerous times.

The recording was passed on to TV news channel Al-Arabiya by a civilian pilot for Lebanese airline MEA in the sky at the time.

He claimed that this event had happened multiple times in the last week, with each warning met with silence from Russia. This clam is not verified.

Russia to call on UN to investigate funding for terrorists

Russia will call on the United Nations to investigate funding channels linked to terrorist groups operating in Syria, in an apparent diplomatic response to Turkey's downing of a Russian jet, writes Roland Oliphant.

More than 20 countries, including Russia, the United States, and Britain, agreed to draw up a list of commonly recognised terrorist organisations at peace talks in Vienna earlier this month.

"I think that now we will insist that besides this list, members of the Vienna group must also agree to common understanding on those channels by which terrorists receive resources. and support," he said.

The comments came after Vladimir Putin accused Turkey of effectively facilitating Isil's support network by turning a blind eye to oil smuggling through its territory.

Reports of aid trucks hit by air strike in Syria

Footage filmed at a crossing on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey's southern province of Kilis showed trucks burning on Wednesday after what aid workers said was an apparent air strike.

The head of the rebel-run border crossing in the same area said separately that air strikes hit a garage for commercial trailers, killing three people.

"Our teams helped to extinguish the fire... The trucks do not belong to us and there is no information on who bombed them," Mustafa Ozbek, an Istanbul-based official from the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), told Reuters.

The aid worker who filmed the aftermath initially said it appeared aid trucks had been targeted.

Russia hitting Turkey where it hurts

Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports that Russian deputies have submitted a bill to hold to account anyone who denies the Armenian genocide.

This is rather unsubtle dig to Turkey - who deny that the 1915 massacres constitute a genocide. It is believed this lasted until 1917 and led to 1.5 million Armenians killed - a figure Turkey disputes, putting the figure at 300,000 to 600,000.

In total, 18 countries accept the massacres as genocide, including Germany, Greece, and France.

Russia urges citizens to stay away from Turkey

The great Russian tourist embargo appears to have begun, writes Roland Oliphant.

The Russian association of tour operators says several of the biggest travel firms in the country, including Pegas Turistik, Coral Travel, and Biblio Globus - major names on the market here - have stopped selling trips to Turkish resorts.

The Russian government hasn't expressly banned companies from selling Turkish holidays, but the has advised Russian citizens to stay away for safety reasons. About four million Russian tourists visit Turkey every year, making it one of the most popular destinations after Egypt.

Protesters hurl eggs and stones at Moscow's Turkish embassy

Protesters have hurled eggs and stones at the Turkish embassy in Moscow.

Windows at the embassy's compound were shattered and eggs pelted against the walls on Wednesday after a protest there went sour. Police cleared the area and and made some arrests shortly after the protest began.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday backed a proposal by French leader Francois Hollande to close off the Syria-Turkey border to prevent the flow of fighters crossing the frontier.

"I think this is a good proposal and that tomorrow President Hollande will talk to us in greater detail about it. We would be ready to seriously consider the necessary measures for this," Mr Lavrov told journalists ahead of Hollande's visit to Moscow on Thursday.

Tensions ramped up - but what does it mean?

Our Middle East reporter Louisa Loveluck has been analysing the war of words.

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has ramped up tensions with Turkey this morning by describing the downing of the Su-24 as a “planned provocation” that will case Moscow to “seriously reassess” its relationship with Ankara.

So far, the war of words has yielded few serious consequences for Turkey, mostly because Russia has too much to lose. The two countries are important trading partners and it would be damaging to shake those ties at a time when both economies are on the rocks.

And despite being at odds over the future of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, cooperation between Russia and Turkey is vital if a political solution to the Syria’s civil war is to be reached.

Before yesterday’s diplomatic clash, there had been rumours that Russia was willing to back a ceasefire, viewing it as an opportune time to pull much of its military force out of Syria. This may well now have changed.

How to decode the Russians

"Provocation" is one of the most important words in the Russian diplomatic lexicon, explains Roland Oliphant.

It can be used in a straightforward sense to accuse another country of a pre-meditated aggressive act to provoke a response, but it more usually implies something else - that the incident in question was staged by another power in order to frame Russia or one of its allies.

In short, it is an accusation of premeditation, implies a certain degree of hostile conspiracy, and wholly places the blame on the other party. It saw a lot of use during the crisis in Ukraine.

In this context, Sergei Lavrov appears to be saying that Turkey either had ordered its pilots to shoot down a Russian aircraft as soon as there was scrap of pretext for doing so (if the SU-24 did indeed stray into Turkish airspace), or that, even more nefariously, it deliberately fabricated the claim of an airspace violation to justify a pre-planned shoot down.

At one level, this is simply an expression of outrage that any government would make if someone shot down one of its aircraft.

It's also a choice of words that plays into the narrative, voiced by Vladimir Putin yesterday, that Turkey "stabbed Russia in the back" for attacking its terrorist clients Isil.

But Mr Lavrov has also implied that America may bear some responsibility, since Turkey is a Nato ally flying US-built planes with US-built weapons. There's a hint - but not quite an open accusation - that Washington and Nato may have had a hand in this.

Turkey and Russia to meet... or will they?

Turkey's Foreign Ministry says the foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia have agreed to meet for talks over the downing of a Russian warplane. Russia's foreign minister, however, said that a meeting hadn't been confirmed.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in a written statement that Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov agreed to a meeting "in the coming days," during a telephone conversation.

The two agreed to share details on the incident through "diplomatic and military channels."

But Lavrov said during a live TV interview that they had no concrete plans for a meeting. Lavrov said that he suggested that he and Cavusoglu could meet on the sidelines of some international event, but didn't say there is any such plan.

Russian foreign minister: downing of jet was 'planned provocation'

He has described Turkey's shoot down of a Russian jet as "planned provocation" and says Russia will "seriously reassess" relations with Ankara. But he seems to have ruled out military retaliation, saying Russia is not going to war with Turkey.

Interestingly, he's also hinted at American culpability in the incident, saying the missile used was American made and pointing out Turkey is meant to be a member of the US-led coalition against Isil - and thus nominally subject to the "deconfliction" agreement the Pentagon and Russian military chiefs negotiated to avoid clashes in the air over Syria.

What the Turkish papers say

Among some pro-government newspapers, editorials support the actions of the Turkish government but among some commentators in Turkey, there is concern for Russia-Turkey relations, writes Raziye Akkoc.

One writer in Hurriyet Daily News, an English-language newspaper in Turkey, fears that if tension is not defused, then Syria could "transform into a battlefield where the Turkish and Russian militaries will even more frequently confront each other".

Serkan Demirtas, a Turkish journalist, suggests relations could also take a while to return to normal and an expected visit in the near future by Mr Erdogan to Moscow could be in danger of cancellation. Of course, this is not surprising since the Russian foreign minister cancelled his visit for today on Tuesday afternoon.

There is no doubt among many within the establishment, a breakdown in relations is not wanted since Demirtas highlights how the two countries have a "unique relationship" and makes much of Turkey and Russia's trade ties. He says that bilateral trade volume is nearly $35 billion (£23 billion).

This is perhaps why Turkey is keen to stress publicly that their target was not a country, despite Mr Davutoglu's warnings about attacks on Turkmen mentioned earlier.

Daily Sabah, a pro-ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) newspaper, has an an editorial with the provocative headline: "Peril posed by Putin in Mideast runs parallel to Daesh," using the Arabic acronym for Isil.

The editorial condemns Russia's actions in Ukraine and Crimea, saying it had a "total disregard of the international system".

The newspaper then adds that Russia's "repeated violations of the airspaces of Nato member countries places it at an international threat level at least equal to that of Daesh in the eyes of the West". The piece goes on to claim that Russia's actions are "no different" to Isil.

Putin: we cannot rule out other incidents in Turkey

"After what happened yesterday, we cannot rule out other incidents, and if they occur one way or another we will have to react. And our citizens in Turkey, of course, could be exposed to considerable danger, and the foreign ministry is obliged to talk about that," he said.

Yesterday Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, advised Russians against holidaying in Turkey because the terrorist threat was similar to that in Egypt, where a Russian airliner was attacked by terrorists last month.

About four million Russians visit Turkey every year, so if Russians stop visiting it could have a big impact on the country's tourism economy. Some kind of limit on tourist travel - possibly in the form of flight suspension or forbidding travel firms from selling package tours to Turkey - appears to be one retaliatory measure Russia is considering.

But here Mr Davutoglu is making wild claims. France had just seen 130 of its citizens killed when it declared a state of emergency while in Turkey, people can be taken to court for "insulting the president" or sharing images critical of Mr Erdogan.

Russia to continue launching airstrikes

Despite yesterday's furore, Russia has vowed this morning that it will continue to launch airstrikes along the Turkish border, writes Louisa Loveluck.

"We would like for the terrorists and militants to keep further away from the Turkish border, but unfortunately they tend to be situated on the Syrian territory close to the Turkish border," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "(Russia's) operations will continue without doubt."

Moscow's initial military intervention was aimed at shoring up regime defences in Syria's far north-west - where the Russian plane was shot down yesterday - and the battle there remains crucial for the Assad regime's survival.

Russia sending hi-tech air defence system

Sergei Shoigu has announced the deployment of Russia's most advanced anti-aircraft missile - the S-400 - to Syria in the wake of the Tuesday's shoot down, writes Roland Oliphant.

The S-400 first came into service in 2007. It is the next generation of the S-300, a particularly effective air defence missile system that Russia periodically offers to sell to Iran as a way of alarming Israel and keeping the Iranians sweet.

With a maximum range of 400 kilometres (about 250 miles), an S400 system based at Russia's Khmeimim airbase near Latakia would easily cover the area where Turkish jets shot down a Russian SU-24 on Tuesday, and would even potentially threaten Turkish aircraft on the other side of the border.

The defence ministry has already announced other counter measures, including fighter escorts for bombing missions, and the deployment of the missile cruiser Moskva, which carries S-300s, to an air defence role in coastal waters of Latakia region. The defence ministry said on Tuesday night that the ship had been ordered to engage "any target that appears to be a threat."

The Moskva has been cruising the eastern Mediterranean with a Russian flotilla for several weeks, and interceptor fighter jets - aircraft designed to engage other planes rather than bomb ground targets - were deployed along with bombers when Russian began its intervention two months ago, precisely to deter Turkish or other country's airforces from interfering with Russian operations.

Russian S-400 Triumf missile carrier are seen on Tverskaya street during the parade rehearsal Photo: Rex

Turkey ignored that implicit deterrent, so the latest announcements seem intended to make it explicit - and to make clear Russia won't think twice about getting even should a Turkish jet give them the chance.

Vladimir Putin today backed a recommendation from the foreign ministry for Russians not to visit Turkey.

"After such tragic events like the destruction of our plane and the death of our pilot, this is a necessary measure," Putin said in televised comments.

Putin decorates pilot and rescuers for bravery

Vladimir Putin has ordered the surviving pilot and his rescuers to be decorated for bravery, writes Roland Oliphant.

"He has been rescued, I understand he us already back at base, at the aerodrome. He and all those who participated in this operation, including the rescue mission, will receive state awards. The defence ministry proposed this," Mr Putin told reporters.

Lt. Col Oleg Peshov, the dead pilot, has been posthumously named a Hero of Russia, the country's highest military award.

His navigator, Capt. Konstantin Murakhtin, has been awarded the Order of Courage. Capt. Murakhtin was rescued last night and is said to be alive and well.

Alexander Pozynich, the marine killed during the rescue operation, has been posthumously award the Order of Courage.

Merkel: shooting down has complicated Syria situation

The shooting down of a Russian warplane by Turkey has complicated the process of finding a political solution in Syria and everything must be done to avoid a further escalation, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

"The situation has been aggravated by the shooting down of a Russian plane by Turkey," Merkel said in a speech in the lower house of parliament, in reference to the situation in Syria.

"We need to do everything to avoid an escalation," she added. "Of course every country has a right to defend its territory but on the other hand we know how tense the situation is in Syria and in the surrounding area. I spoke yesterday with the Turkish prime minister and asked him to do everything to de-escalate the situation."

Russia want a joint staff of France, US and Turkey vs. Isil

Russia would be prepared to "create a joint staff" to fight the Islamic State (Isil) in which Moscow would work with France, the United States and even Turkey, the Russian ambassador to France said Wednesday.

"We are prepared to... plan strikes on Daesh (Isil) positions together and create a joint staff with France, the US, with all the countries who want to be in this coalition," said Alexander Orlov," adding: "If the Turks want to be in at as well, they are welcome" despite tensions after Turkey downed a Russian military jet.

One of pilots is alive, taken to Russian base

One of the two Russian pilots who ejected from a jet shot down by Turkey on Tuesday has been picked up by the Syrian army and is being taken to Russia's base there, Russia's ambassador to France said on Wednesday.

"One on board was wounded when he parachuted down and killed in a savage way on the ground by the jihadists in the area and the other managed to escape and, according to the latest information, has been picked up by the Syrian army and should be going back to the Russian airforce base," ambassador Alexandre Orlov told Europe 1 radio. The other pilot was killed.

US official: Russian jet was not in Turkish airspace when it was hit

Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The United States believes that the Russian jet shot down by Turkey on Tuesday was hit inside Syrian airspace after a brief incursion into Turkish airspace, a US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said that assessment was based on detection of the heat signature of the jet.

At least one of its pilots, and possibly both, were shot dead by rebels as they parachuted to safety, and a Russian marine died when his rescue helicopter was hit by a rebel, US-supplied anti-tank missile.

Turkish officials said the jet had ignored ten warnings.

Moscow bitterly criticised Turkey for its action against the warplane, which it insisted was in Syrian airspace, and claimed that one of the two pilots who ejected from the craft was killed by gunfire from the ground as he descended.

Vladirmir Putin said: “Today’s loss was a stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists. Our pilots and our aircraft never threatened the territory of Turkey. That much is obvious."

He accused Turkey of backing Isil and trying to drag Nato into the conflict alongside Islamist extremists.

The Russian president recently made this view known when close aides warned him of Britain’s views on Russia. They told him that, when Britain outlined its National Security Strategy as part of the 2015 defence review, it would argue that, after Islamic State (Isil), Russia posed the greatest threat to global peace. But rather than being alarmed that his country was being cast in the same mould as the barbaric followers of Isil, Mr Putin simply shrugged. “Don’t worry,” he reassured his aides. “The British aren’t serious.”

Russia's Syrian deployment

A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft Photo: Reuters

The jet that was shot down was a Sukhoi 24, one of about 30 Russian planes flying raids over Syria. Flying from Khmeimim, in Latakia province, there are thought to be a dozen Su-25s and Su-24s, along with a handful of Su-30s and Su-34s.

SU-24 'ventured a mile inside Turkey'

So Wikileaks has apparently got hold of a statement written by Turkey, confirming Russian plane was in its airspace for only 17 seconds before it was attacked. Again it says it crashed once back on the Syrian side of the border. If true, it suggests the Russian SU-24 penetrated only a little more than a mile into Turkey.

Details of the letter correspond with what the New York Times was told earlier, but the addressing on it seems upside down. Or is that how all UN letters are set up, with the recipient at the foot?

So what now?

If these latest details from Reuters are correct, then it changes things quite a bit. However, there's plenty we still don't know. What weapons systems were involved, for example? Were the planes visible to each other? The Russian jet spent a short period of time in Turkish airspace. So it is entirely possible that weapons were engaged before the jet crossed back into Syria, with no time for missiles to be destroyed, for example.

It will be a while before we have answers to these kinds of questions.

@robcrilly It will be interesting to see what weapon system they used. Almost all air to air is beyond visual range engagements.

Heat signature suggests 'jet was hit inside Syria'

More breaking from Reuters. They are now saying that it was hit inside Syria - not just exploded:

The United States believes that the Russian jet shot down by Turkey on Tuesday was hit inside Syrian airspace after a brief incursion into Turkish airspace, a US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said that assessment was based on detection of the heat signature of the jet.